With grocery prices skyrocketing, maximizing your savings is more critical than ever. This guide will show you how to use your loyalty program to save money on everyday purchases.
Loyalty programs are a great way to get unique discounts and rewards. To make the most of them, consider using rebate apps and comparing grocery store prices to find the best deals.
Identify Your Spending Habits
If you want to save on groceries, it helps to know where your money goes each month. There are several ways to monitor your spending, from keeping track of your receipts to utilizing an app that keeps track of everything you buy. Pinpointing your spending habits is the first step in making changes and saving more money.
It would help if you also looked for patterns and opportunities to save on grocery spending. For example, do you tend to over-buy certain items just because they’re on sale? It can be costly because you may end up with food that goes bad before you use it.
Another option is to be sale-loyal rather than brand-loyal regarding groceries. Searching weekly store flyers can help you find products already on sale and then stack coupons on top of them. It can save you both money and time to search for coupons online.
Consider shopping at stores that don’t accept coupons. These discount supermarkets can often offer the same or better prices than your favorite grocery stores, even without coupons.
Lastly, plan your meals ahead of time to avoid impulse buys. It can be done by looking at recipes on Pinterest or finding a meal planning template. Having a notepad and pen with you can also be beneficial, as it allows you to keep track of the products you are purchasing as you go.
You should also look at how much you’re spending overall and compare it to your budget. Then, you can decide whether or not your current grocery budget is sufficient and if any areas need to be cut.
Look for Discounts
Using the best grocery loyalty programs to get the most from your spending can help you save money. Many stores offer members-only discounts that can be added to your rewards card or loaded onto a mobile app. These discounts are often based on your shopping history, so they can be targeted and helpful.
For example, if you’re a regular shopper at a particular grocery store, the chain may send you coupons for their products based on your purchases. These can be added to your digital rewards card and automatically deducted at checkout. Some grocery stores also offer an app that can be used to get digital discounts when you shop. It works like a coupon app but uses your in-store visit and app check-in data to give you personalized offers. These can be especially helpful when looking for specific items on your weekly shopping list. Several credit cards provide cash back on groceries.
Other ways to save on food include watching sales circulars and sifting through newspaper ads for discounts. You can also find several printable grocery coupons online; some retailers even offer versions of these in their apps. Finally, you can buy in bulk through wholesale clubs.
Shop at Multiple Stores
Loyalty programs are available at many grocery stores, and they can help consumers save money. Some programs track online purchases, others provide instant discounts at the checkout, and others enable customers to earn fuel points for discounts at the gas pump. The best grocery loyalty programs address personalization, enhance customer engagement, and help grocery stores stand out in a progressively competitive marketplace.
If you have multiple grocery store options within proximity, consider shopping at several stores to optimize your savings. The best prices are often found at less-familiar retailers. Many stores also run specials and sales at different times, so it can pay to shop around.
Another way to maximize your savings is to avoid buying name brands and opt for the store brand instead. Most stores offer a generic version of items that is just as good and costs significantly less. Plus, many grocery stores give a discount for bringing your reusable bags.
Plenty of other ways to save on groceries include joining a warehouse club. You can also utilize shopping apps to identify manufacturer coupons and rebates and automatically load them onto your digital loyalty card. Apps can help you find deals at local grocers and across the web.
To get the most out of your loyalty program, check your grocery store’s website or app for coupon offers and watch local newspapers for circulars. Then, plan your menus based on what’s currently on sale. Then, you’ll always be maximizing your savings! Considering these intelligent strategies, you can ensure your grocery bill stays under budget.
Try Digital Options
Grocery prices might seem extremely high, but there are plenty of ways to keep your shopping bill under control and save money when you’re in the store. Here are 30 tips to help you fill your carts, fridges, and pantries without exceeding budget.
Download a grocery store loyalty app to access discounts that eliminate the need for paper coupons. With these apps, you can load digital coupons directly onto your loyalty card, and the savings are automatically deducted when you checkout in-store. Some apps even tailor coupon offers to products you’ve purchased in the past. You’ll also find the ability to earn fuel points at participating gas stations, making it easy to maximize savings while you shop.
Use a grocery app to earn cash back on select products you purchase. With apps that allow you to scan barcodes to find the cheapest price for a purchase or follow pricing on particular brand items, you can also compare in-store and online costs.
A sound grocery rewards credit card can add up to 1% to 6% cash back on your purchases (as long as you pay them off in full each month). If you’re not ready to commit to a new card, try a generic cash-back card that provides 2% on every purchase or a grocery-specific one that pays 3% on groceries and 2% when you pay with it at an airport, hotel, or car rental agency.
Grocery stores pack their checkouts with tempting candy bars and other treats that can cause you to spend more than you planned. Before you hit the checkout line, pull out your smartphone or a handheld calculator and keep a running total of what’s in your cart. When you reach the register, it can prevent costly surprises and encourages you to use those frozen chicken thighs in the freezer or those unopened beans in the pantry.
Consider Wholesale Clubs
Joining a warehouse club can help you save money on bulk purchases of things you use frequently, such as personal hygiene goods and non-perishable groceries. However, you need to compare unit prices per ounce or item and pay attention to shrinkflation, where companies downsize products and charge the same price.
Credit card rewards programs also offer points or cash back when you shop at grocery stores. These programs are typically more generous than supermarkets. They can be incredibly lucrative if you have a card offering higher-than-average grocery rewards.
In addition to rewards programs, various apps offer extra savings on grocery purchases. These include several shopping portals and some card programs that allow you to link a credit or debit card to earn additional miles, points, or cash back. However, these options tend to be limited to the grocery category and may only work at certain retailers.
Grocery and hypermarket retailers operate on tight margins, limiting the value they can deliver within their loyalty programs. But, they can create a premium experience that helps them stand out in the highly competitive space by offering personalized rewards that drive repeat visits and loyalty. By leveraging zero- and first-party data to create real-time, individualized experiences, these retailers can deliver valuable benefits to their best customers. They can even encourage loyalty by providing one-of-a-kind benefits, increased transactions, and advocacy.
